


And Now I See Daylight

by Soph_Writes_118



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Boys In Love, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christopher Diaz Has Two Dads, Firehouse 118 Family Feels (9-1-1 TV), Firehouse 118 as Family (9-1-1 TV), First Christmas, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Idiots in Love, Love, M/M, Parenthood, Protective Firehouse 118 Crew (9-1-1 TV), Sharing a Bed, Supportive Firehouse 118 Crew (9-1-1 TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27559066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soph_Writes_118/pseuds/Soph_Writes_118
Summary: *Sequel series to 'It Was Only a Kiss', following Buck and Eddie's relationship once they finally get it together*Contents:1 - Your Body is a Wonderland2 - This Love Ain't Made for the Faint of Heart3 - I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus4 - Bein' A DadSo I did not expect to be writing this, but blackamethyst923 was kind enough to ask for a Buddie relationship sequel. I thought it could be fun to play with, so here it is – a series of snapshots into some of the key moments in Buck and Eddie’s relationship as they navigate the change from friends to lovers.This was a real key change for me, not only writing shorter stories and one-shots, but also looking beyond that initial getting together moment and thinking about what a Buddie relationship could look like. I hope it does them justice!
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 56
Kudos: 202





	1. Your Body is a Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is literally all fluff/smut, no plot. Hope we’re all cool with that.

Eddie felt the charge in the air as soon as he stepped across the threshold into Buck’s apartment that night. Neither of them had said anything and nothing had been agreed to, but they both knew where this night was heading. Because Chris was sleeping over at abuela’s. And Eddie’s truck was parked up beside Buck’s Jeep for the night. He’d brought a change of clothes, and they didn’t have work the next day. Their intentions couldn’t be clearer. But neither of them had put it into words yet.

They ordered pizza but barely touched it, washing their nerves down with beer instead. The conversation that usually flowed so easily was punctuated tonight with silences, nervous laughter and pauses. Buck suggested a few rounds of Mortal Kombat, but they found it hard to focus on the game when every accidental touch, every bump of their shoulders and brush of their thighs, was loaded with extra meaning. Finally, Buck put down his controller, knocked back a swig of beer and turned to face Eddie.

“Look, nothing even has to happen tonight, Eddie. We can just hang out, like we always do. You can stay over and we’ll just get used to sharing a bed.”

Eddie exhaled and dropped his controller onto the coffee table, reaching for his beer too.

“I never thought I’d be this nervous about anything. I need to get a grip.”

Buck shook his head.

“Nerves are normal. Just because we’re in third date territory now, or whatever the rules are, doesn’t mean we have to do anything.”

“I didn’t think you usually waited long enough for the third date,” Eddie quipped, relieved that his sense of humour hadn’t deserted him along with his courage. “Or even the first.”

“Fair point,” Buck conceded, with a hint of a smile. “But this is different. It’s you. It’s _us_.”

He smiled shyly as he said it, and Eddie felt a thrill through his chest at the word. _Us_. They had been an us almost as long as they’d known each other, silently acknowledged but never discussed. But now they’d finally said it out loud, it felt like they’d finally acknowledged all the layers that came with such a simple word. Best friends. Work Partners. Co-parents. Lovers.

“We don’t have to do anything that you’re not comfortable with,” Buck emphasised, as Eddie turned these thoughts over in his head. “I don’t want to do anything to screw this up. We can take it as slow as you need.” He leaned back and took another gulp of beer. “I’ve been waiting for this for two years. I can wait another night.”

Eddie frowned, tilting his head to one side.

“Have you done this before?”

Buck tilted his head too in confusion, and Eddie realised where he’d learnt that movement from in the first place.

“What, shared a bed? Had sex? Yes, I’m afraid it’s true Eddie, I am not, in fact, a 30 year-old virgin.”

Eddie pulled a face at him and took another swig of beer.

“I meant with another guy.”

“Umm, no.”

Eddie frowned at his hesitation, and Buck clarified. “Well, a bit of fooling around when I was bartending in South America, but no. Not like this.”

Buck paused and looked down at his hands, then tilted his head up and held Eddie’s gaze. “Nothing that ever meant this much,” he added softly.

And that was it. Eddie put his beer bottle down with a thud, took a deep breath, and surrendered control to his heart. He pulled Buck to him, and their lips collided as their bodies melted together, sinking back into the couch. Buck looped a hand around the back of Eddie’s neck, pulling him closer, and rocked his hips up against his. Eddie dragged his hands through Buck’s hair, moaning into his neck, and returned his mouth to Buck’s, tongues sliding together. This level of intimacy that they’d danced around for so long; always sitting too close and touching too often, with gazes that lingered too long, had always been leading up to this moment. And it felt like coming home.

Eddie expected to be utterly terrified when this moment came. And it was true that his heart raced double time, hammering against his ribs as they climbed the stairs to Buck’s bedroom. And his hands shook, just a little, as he slid Buck’s t-shirt up his chest and over his head. His stomach lurched when they backed up across the room and his knees hit the edge of the bed, and he sank down onto it, Buck following and straddling him at the waist. And his brain jammed altogether when Buck’s hands found his belt and slowly unbuckled it, fingertips brushing against Eddie’s bare stomach above the waistband of his jeans. But this was _Buck_. Buck who would never hurt him, who knew him better than anybody. His best friend. His partner. _Us_. Burning up between the sheets together, the flames they had been fanning the past two years finally set free to set the night on fire.

Buck never took his eyes off Eddie’s, constantly checking that he was comfortable with what they were doing. The care in those deep blue eyes soothed Eddie like a balm, and he tried to answer their concern with kisses. His lips traced every tattoo etched on Buck’s skin, and the birthmark above his eye, as Buck lay back and watched him, amazement shining in his eyes. And Eddie recognised it, because he was feeling that same sense of surreal wonder. After all these months, _years_ , yearning and wondering had become reality. Hidden away from the world in Buck’s moonlit apartment, the stillness of the night settled in, hours stretching ahead of them full of unspoken promises.

“You look...” Buck’s voice caught, as he shook his head in awe and stared at Eddie as if he were a work of art. “I could never get tired of looking at you. You’re...beautiful.”

Eddie rocked back on his heels and shot him an amused smile.

“I’ve never been called beautiful before.”

Buck snorted.

“ _Please_. Chim called you that the first time he ever saw you.”

“Unlike you. Weren’t you too busy hating me?” Eddie teased, leaning down over him, bracing one palm on the mattress and tracing the other slowly down Buck’s chest.

“Hey, I have eyes. I knew you were the hottest guy I’d ever seen. But I had to hate you. It was too dangerous to think that I might like you.” Buck inhaled sharply as Eddie’s hand dipped below the waistband of his jeans. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t imagine this moment way too many times, though.”

“You have no idea how many times I looked at you and wanted this,” Eddie gasped his confession, as Buck’s hands and mouth roamed across his skin in return. “How many times I forced myself not to think about you. How distracted I am by you, every single day. You’re my undoing, Buck.”

Eddie thought he wouldn’t know what he was doing, but his body took over, moving instinctively, guided by the need to feel the warmth and electric charge of Buck’s bare skin against his. He unhooked Buck’s belt, sliding his jeans away and skimming his hips with his fingertips. Buck’s breath caught, and he kissed Eddie with desperate urgency, rolling their hips together so they both moaned.

Slowly, every item of clothing was tossed to the floor, and by the light of the moon they mapped every inch of the other’s body with their eyes, each trying to imprint the image in his mind forever. They had reached the cliff edge, the point of no return. As they stared at each other, the realisation settled in that they were about to change their relationship forever. There would be no going back from tonight.

“Are you sure?” Buck asked softly, cupping Eddie’s jaw with his hand.

“We’ve waited two years for tonight,” Eddie told him, his voice barely above a whisper, his lips so close to Buck’s that they brushed with every word. “I don’t want to wait another night.”

And finally, in a tangle of limbs and bedsheets, they took each other apart.

*

Eddie woke as the dawn light slid gently through the windows into Buck’s apartment. He was stuck in the habit of getting up early for Christopher every morning, used to moving around in the quiet of the first light of day while the rest of the world was sleeping. But without the chaotic energy of a nine year-old, and through a haze of blissful fatigue from not enough hours sleep, this morning felt...peaceful. He felt a stillness and completeness he couldn’t remember knowing before today.

Stretching aching muscles, Eddie shifted sideways and propped himself up on one arm facing Buck, careful not to wake him. Buck was curled on his side facing Eddie, arms tucked in close to his chest. The bedsheet had fallen off his back and shoulders in the night, the soft light of dawn giving his exposed skin a golden glow. Eddie let his eyes wander the same spots his hands and lips had traced hours before, desire stirring in the pit of his stomach as he relived every touch, every kiss, every gasp.

Eddie had wondered, in the days and weeks leading up to last night, if he would be able to go through with this, to let go of his fears and surrender himself completely to the unknown. He’d been so afraid that panic would win out and deny them both something they’d been waiting so long for. But last night he’d put happiness first, before any sense of misplaced shame or fear. And now he was out the other side, his heart thumping a steady, contented beat as he watched Buck sleep, and he knew with certainty that this was only the first of many nights they would spend together. The thought filled him up with a joy he’d forgotten existed.

Beside him, Buck stirred, and Eddie reached out and drifted one hand lazily down his arm.

“Hey,” Buck murmured sleepily, opening his eyes and smiling up at Eddie with a warmth that lit him up like the sun. Eddie smiled fondly down at him.

“Good morning, Buck.”

Buck reached for him, and Eddie tilted his head to press his lips to Buck’s. How could he ever have been afraid of this? Kissing Buck was like breathing oxygen.

“Now this is something I could wake up to more often,” Buck said, when they broke apart. “Not many people in LA can say they’ve woken up in bed with Eddie Diaz.”

“I think you’re the _only_ person in LA who can say that.”

Buck stretched out on his back, one arm behind his head, the other tracing the tattoo script curling around Eddie’s left forearm.

“Then I really must be the luckiest guy in LA. In California. Hell, in the whole world.”

“Oh I don’t know. I woke up feeling pretty lucky myself this morning.”

Buck tilted his head to face Eddie.

“Correction, you _got_ lucky this morning,” he grinned. Then nerves flickered briefly across his face. “So...no regrets?”

“One,” Eddie said, and Buck started up in panic, face instantly creased in worry.

“Did I hurt you? Did I do something wrong? Was it not what you wanted?”

“Whoa,” Eddie whispered, silencing him with another kiss. Buck stilled at his touch, and Eddie pulled back to look at him earnestly. “I could never regret you, Buck.” He grinned. “My only regret is that we didn’t do this years ago.”

Buck let out of a whoosh of air and punched Eddie’s shoulder, eyes fluttering half-closed with relief as he slumped back onto the mattress.

“That was _mean_ , Eddie. I’m going to need another nap to recover from that kind of emotional trauma so early in the morning.”

“Well I hope you’ve got some energy in reserve,” Eddie warned him. “We’ve got a whole day with Christopher after this. And he’s not gonna take, ‘Sorry, I had too much sex last night and now I can’t keep my eyes open’ as an excuse.”

Buck grinned.

“Too much sex? If it was anyone _but_ Chris we had plans with, I would be calling them right now to cancel so I could keep you in bed for the rest of the day.”

“Oh really?”

Eddie rolled over on top of Buck, pinning him to the bed by his wrists.

“So you’ve got enough in the tank for Round 2 then?”

Buck nipped Eddie’s shoulder with his teeth, making his arm buckle, and used the advantage to wrestle Eddie onto his back and straddle him, smirking.

“ _I_ have. Have you, old man?”

Eddie’s eyebrows arched.

“I’m barely older than you, Buckley.”

“Well then you can prove it to me now, Diaz. Hope you can keep up.”


	2. This Love Ain't Made for the Faint of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buck and Eddie encounter resistance to their relationship from other firefighters.
> 
> TW: Homophobic comments.

“I feel redundant.”

Chim leaned back against the fire truck.

“Empty warehouse fire with no casualties,” Hen said, pulling off her gloves. “Doesn’t get much better.”

“Especially when there’s someone else doing the heavy lifting,” Chim said, nodding into the smoke.

Buck and Eddie were walking the hose back, their side of the building smoking but no longer alight.

“This fire too boring for you?” Eddie called to them.

“Clearly they were just too intimidated by the professionals!” Buck shouted, carrying the front of the hose and clapping Eddie on the back as he passed him.

“It’s alright, you’ll be a professional one day too, Buck,” Eddie replied, shooting him a sly grin. Buck opened his mouth to respond, eyes sparkling.

“Well if it isn’t the LAFD’s Kiss Cam Queers!”

The 105 had parked their truck next to the 118. And two of its firefighters, Chase Bolton and Jared Lane, had just returned with their hose too. Hen and Chim exchanged looks, and Buck and Eddie drew slightly closer together, the laughter draining from their faces.

“So it _is_ true,” Lane said. “You two are screwing for real, not just for the cameras.”

“We’re in a relationship. You got a problem with that?” Buck asked evenly, but Eddie saw his shoulders tense, the only indicator that he was rattled by the comments.

“A relationship?” Bolton laughed derisively. “That’s what you call it? How does that work?” He gestured back and forth between Buck and Eddie. “I mean, which one of you’s the man and which one’s the woman?”

“Tops and bottoms, that’s what they call it,” Lane added, leaning back against the side of the 105’s engine with his arms folded, sneering.

“That’s just not _natural_ ,” Bolton said, face screwed up with disgust.

  
“Do we ask you about your sex life?” Eddie asked shortly. “Don’t think so. So back off, Bolton.”

He turned away, conversation closed, and started rolling up the hose.

“I’m surprised at you, Diaz,” Bolton called, taking a step closer to them. “I mean, Buckley here’s about as bent as that hose you’re fondling, but you? Making the most of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ out in Afghanistan were you?”

Eddie’s hands clenched, but he took several deep breaths and ignored him. He was not about to undo months of therapy with Frank over this. He’d known comments like this might come his way for dating Buck. It wasn’t about to stop him being happy.

Bolton smirked, not letting it drop.

“Well, I guess we’ve found the reason your marriage failed. I guess your wife couldn’t deal with being the beard for a faggot anymore.”

“What did you say?”

Eddie spun around, but it was Buck who had shouted, Buck who stormed across the space between them, and it was Buck who threw the first punch.

*

Hen and Chim lunged for Eddie, who was starting after Buck.

“Get off me!”

“Eddie, it’s not worth it,” Chim said urgently, dragging him back.

Hen’s eyes were on Buck, who was laying into Bolton. Lane shouted into his radio, and then he charged at Buck too. Eddie struggled against Hen and Chim, who hung on grimly. Buck held his own against Bolton and Lane, his extra height and all those hours in the gym giving him a valuable advantage. But he still took a nasty blow to the head that knocked him back into the side of the 105’s fire truck, and Eddie surged forward again, testing Chim and Hen’s strength. Just when they thought they might not be able to hold him back any longer, a patrol car screeched up on scene and Athena Grant climbed out.

“Enough!”

At the sound of her voice, Buck backed off, shoulders heaving, lip bleeding and face like thunder. Hen and Chim let go of Eddie, who strode over to Buck and examined him for injuries, turning his face gently from side to side. Bolton and Lane, both significantly worse for wear, rounded on Athena.

“What the hell happened here?” she barked.

“Buckley jumped us.”

Eddie’s head snapped round, as Hen and Chim argued loudly at once.

“They started it!”

“He was provoked!”

Athena lifted one hand for quiet, and they both fell silent. She directed her gaze to Bolton and Lane.

“And you’re telling me that the two of you weren’t able to overcome your lone assailant?” she asked scathingly. “I think you gentlemen might need to spend a few more hours in the gym if one man can get the better of both of you.”

“ _He_ attacked _us_ , why aren’t you arresting him?” Lane asked.

“She’s married to Nash, that’s why,” Bolton muttered.

“I’m an officer of the law, and I was for 28 years before I married _Captain_ Nash,” Athena told him coldly. “I make arrests where there is due and probable cause to believe that an offence has taken place. What I want to know is why Firefighter Buckley felt compelled to start a fight with you in the first place.”

“I’ll tell you why,” Buck said, his voice edged with anger. “Because they think that our relationship is somehow any of their business. Because they think that we should be ashamed of ourselves.” He turned his gaze to Athena and jutted his chin out. “If you need to arrest me, then you do that, Athena. My conscience is clear.”

“That’s very noble, Buck,” Athena said dryly. “But you might want to argue _against_ me taking you to jail for the night.”

“What’s going on?”

Bobby had returned from the captain’s debrief in time to catch Athena’s last sentence. His eyes swept the scene and his face grew serious.

“Seems a fight broke out while your back was turned,” Athena told him.

“We were assaulted for exerting our first amendment right to protest,” Bolton said, shooting a glare at Buck. “This is still a free country, isn’t it?”

“Didn’t sound much like a protest from where I was standing,” Chim muttered to Hen, though he pitched it loud enough that his voice carried.

“It’s free speech,” Lane added, directing a disdainful look at Chim.

“It was homophobic hate speech!” Buck shouted.

“We can say what we want. It’s not a crime.”

“Damn well should be,” Hen snapped.

“ _That_ should be illegal,” Bolton said, gesturing to Buck and Eddie. “Two guys, kissing and having sex? It’s not normal. It’s not _right_.”

“OK, I’ve heard enough,” Athena said, raising her voice. She shot Bolton and Lane a look of barely concealed disgust. “I’m fairly sure how this would play out if you chose to pursue an allegation of assault. So I suggest you gentlemen familiarise yourself with California penal code 422.55, that defines a hate crime as a criminal act committed because of the victim’s actual or perceived membership of certain protected characteristics, including sexual orientation. If you do insist on taking your allegation any further, I will be advising Firefighter Buckley to make a counter-allegation based on that penal code.”

Bolton and Lane exchanged mutinous glances, but finally conceded defeat.

“We’ll be complaining to our captain,” Lane said, as they headed for their truck.

“You do that!” Buck shouted after him.

“Buck, know when to stop,” Athena said in a low voice.

“Are you alright, Buck?” Hen asked, frowning in concern at the cut on his lip. Buck nodded shortly, still bristling with fury.

“You know this is likely to end up in a disciplinary,” Bobby told him. “A formal complaint on your record, maybe even a misconduct hearing?”

Buck sighed with frustration and looked away, jaw working hard.

“No way, Cap, no way,” Hen said fiercely. “Buck was provoked. I’ll go before any disciplinary board you want and tell them as much. Those bastards were throwing homophobic abuse at Buck and Eddie. If Buck hadn’t got there first, _I’d_ have punched them.”

Bobby looked them all over. When his gaze landed on Chim, he nodded.

“What Hen said. We’re a team. We go down as a team.”

Bobby glanced at Eddie questioningly.

“It’s true,” he said, and they could hear the effort it cost him to hold it together, voice still shaking with anger. “Buck was defending me. I just wish I’d hit them too.”

“It wasn’t worth your job,” Buck said, touching his arm.

“So it was worth yours?” Eddie asked him incredulously.

“I was willing to take that risk for you.”

“Your career is more important.”

“No, Eddie. You are.”

That admission sent a ripple through all of them.

“Right,” Bobby said, breaking the silence that followed. “We’ll talk about this back at the station. And if the Captain of the 105 comes my way with a complaint, I’ll be countering it with a complaint about the homophobic abuse levelled at two of my firefighters.” He shot a sympathetic look at Buck and Eddie. “Let’s get out of here, before anyone else decides to start a fight with us.”

Athena returned to her patrol car, Bobby climbed into the truck, and Chim helped Eddie roll up the hose, abandoned on the ground. Hen threw her arms around Buck in a fierce hug.

“You do some dumb things, Buck. But no one ever gives you enough credit for how brave you are.”

Catching Eddie watching Buck, Chim nudged him.

“You nearly killed a man you didn’t know with your bare hands,” he said in a low voice. “It’s why we had to hold you back. What do you think you’d have done to _them_? I know Buck acts without thinking most of the time, but he had your back on this one. This may also be the first time he’s acknowledged that there’s something out there more important than his job.”

“He’s too good for me,” Eddie muttered, surprising himself by saying the words out loud.

“Kid’s got a heart of gold. And he’s signed it over to you.”

Eddie stilled, watching Buck climb back onto the truck with a soft smile.

“But you’re good for each other,” Chim added. “Buck’ was a better guy just for _knowing_ you, Eddie. He’s the best version I’ve ever seen of him now he’s _dating_ you.”

Touched, Eddie shot him a grateful look.

“Thanks, Chim.”

“We got your back,” Chim muttered, clapping a hand to his shoulder.

*

Back in the loft, the mood was sombre. Bobby and Athena stood talking in low tones in the kitchen. Buck and Eddie sat side-by-side on the sofa, each wrapped in their own thoughts. Hen and Chim sat across from them, hiding behind their phones.

“OK, we need to talk this one out,” Athena said eventually, when the silence had stretched out so long she couldn’t take it anymore. She strode over with a mug of coffee and a face that told them all she was still on the warpath. “Y’all are thinking so loudly I can practically hear you from here.”

Hen and Chim exchanged a look and sat up, stowing their phones. Eddie didn’t move. Buck stared at the ground, arms braced on his knees, but at Athena’s words he looked up, anger and disappointment battling it out on his face.

“I knew there’d be comments,” he said. “I just didn’t think they’d come from other firefighters.”

“I did,” Eddie admitted, lifting his head. “I just wasn’t expecting it so soon.”

Athena glanced at Hen, who leaned forward.

“What you’re forgetting is that you two couldn’t present more straight. You practically live in the gym, every straight woman in the city wants to date you, and Eddie drives the biggest truck I’ve ever seen. And don’t get me started on the single dad, military hero, Silver Star thing either,” she added, flapping a hand at Eddie as she spoke. He grimaced, and Hen sighed.

“I know you hate it, but face facts, that makes you a catch in anyone’s books. And to those troglodytes out there, when someone like that decides they actually prefer to date their best friend, another stereotypical straight guy, it makes them uncomfortable because it forces them to question themselves. And they can’t handle that, so they take it out on you.”

Buck and Eddie exchanged a weary glance.

“Hey, don’t you two dare give up on this,” Athena said fiercely, catching the look. “You have worked too hard and come too far to let those jackasses derail you now.”

“Yeah, we did have to sit through two years of moping and flirting to get this far,” Chim added.

“And a lawsuit and a tsunami,” Hen said. “And Eddie being buried alive.”

“And Buck being crushed by a fire truck, then having a pulmonary embolism on our lawn,” Bobby added, sitting down beside Athena.

Eddie reached for Buck’s hand and squeezed it once in reassurance. Buck smiled softly at him, the anger falling from his face.

“See?” Hen said. “Are you really gonna deny yourself that kind of happiness because some dumbass decides to run their mouth about it?” She leaned a little further forward, holding eye contact with both of them in turn. “I know it’s exhausting. I am as sick of the fight as you are, and I’ve been doing it most of my life. But you’re not alone in this fight.”

“You have us,” Bobby added. “And we are all rooting for you.”

Buck turned to look at Eddie.

“So, what do you reckon? Are we still on?”

He fronted it out with a casual tone, but no one missed the hesitancy laced beneath it, the fear that this might have been a step too far for Eddie. The rest of the loft held their breath waiting for an answer. Clearly they weren’t as casual as they thought, from the look Eddie shot them all before his gaze landed on Buck.  
“I knew there’d be bumps in the road,” he said quietly. “I gave up on my marriage too easily. I’m not giving up on us.”

Buck’s face lit up with a dazzling smile, and he leaned sideways into Eddie, their bodies touching from shoulder to hip. The others grinned and tried to make themselves invisible, until Eddie looked up and included them in the conversation.

“Besides,” he said, “seems there’s a lot of people invested in this. Would be a shame to disappoint them.”

“Hey, I don’t remember signing on for a relationship with the whole of the 118,” Buck said.

“Umm, we didn’t sign up for that either,” Chim chipped in. “I already picked my preferred Buckley. No offence, Buckaroo.”

“That’s alright, Chim. You’re not my favourite firefighter either,” Buck said, not looking away from Eddie.

“Such a sap, Buckley,” Eddie said, smiling fondly at him. And then he surprised everyone by leaning in to kiss Buck, there and then, in front of them all. Chim and Hen gave token shouts of protest, but they couldn’t hold back their grins.

“Oh come on!”

“No one needs to see that!”

“Get a room!”


	3. I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christopher can't sleep on Christmas Eve, so he goes looking for Santa Claus. He did not expect to see his dad kissing Santa under the mistletoe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter light on plot but heavy on fluff. Bringing you some early Christmas cheer!

Christopher Diaz was too excited to sleep.

It was Christmas Eve, and his abuela had tucked him into bed hours before. Now the clock on his bedside table glowed 11:45, which meant Santa Claus would be visiting his house any time between now and dawn. When his dad left for work today he made Chris promise to go to sleep and not get up again til daylight, because Santa only came when all the children in the house were asleep. When Buck picked Dad up for work, he had shown him an app on his phone that tracked Santa as he travelled across the world, delivering presents on Christmas Eve. In other countries, it was already Christmas Day. America was one of the last places Santa would visit, and Buck told him that was because he was saving his favourite kids, like Christopher, until last.

Excitement fizzed through Chris’s veins, willing the hours away until morning. This year was especially exciting because, once his dad had finished his shift tonight, he was off for Christmas. Tomorrow, they were going to spend the day with his aunts and uncles and cousins. Which meant the food would be much better than if his dad were cooking, and he’d have his cousins to play with when the grown ups starting talking about boring adult stuff.

Christopher strained his ears for the sounds of sleigh bells, or the stamping of reindeer on their roof. His dad and Buck had taken him to see real reindeer when they picked up a Christmas tree this year. Buck had told him all about the reindeer: how both male and female deer grew antlers, that they ate moss-like fungi called lichen, and that they had hollow fur to keep them warm. The woman looking after the reindeer had taken a photo of Christopher, his dad and Buck with the reindeer, and it was now the lock screen on Buck’s phone. Chris had drawn a picture of them meeting the reindeer when they got back that night, and his dad had stuck it up on the fridge with a smile.

Some of the kids in Christopher’s class said that Santa wasn’t real, that he was made up by parents to make you be good all year. But Chris didn’t believe that. His dad didn’t have a good enough imagination to make up Santa. And besides, he’d met Santa when he and his dad first moved to LA. Dad and Buck had taken him to a grotto beside a fountain and one his elves took him to see Santa, and ask him what he wanted for Christmas. This year they hadn’t been able to get to the grotto, but he’d written to Santa instead with a special request. Because for all the presents in the world, there was only one thing that Christopher really wanted this year.

A soft jingle of bells echoed somewhere inside the house, and Christopher started up in bed, reaching for his glasses. Slowly, he slipped from his bed and tiptoed into the hallway.

It was dark throughout the house, except in the living room, which was lit with the twinkle of the Christmas lights. Christopher heard a rustle of paper and soft voices. One of them sounded like his dad’s. The other was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. Chris reached the end of the hallway and peeked around the corner into the living room. He made sure to stay in the shadows so he couldn’t be seen.

Standing next to their Christmas tree, white beard gleaming in its lights, was Santa Claus. His crimson suit was trimmed with fur, and his blue eyes sparkled. Presents spilled out of a sack at his feet, next to his shiny black boots. It was like watching a Christmas card come to life. Christopher stared, his heart hammering in his chest. Santa was real! He knew the boys at school had been lying when they said he wasn’t.

Santa was talking to Dad in a low voice, and Dad was laughing. Then Santa produced a sprig of mistletoe from his suit pocket, and lifted it high above their heads. He tilted his head towards Chris’s dad, who laughed again and looked embarrassed, but didn’t pull away. Christopher’s jaw dropped.

His dad was kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe.

His mind blown, Christopher crept back to bed, tried to put his excitement aside and sleep.

*

When Christopher next woke up, it was morning. Light streamed in around the edges of his curtains, and his clock read 07:30. Christopher clambered out of bed and hurried back into the corridor. His dad’s door was still shut, but he could smell coffee in the kitchen, and headed in that direction. But it wasn’t his dad leaning over the coffee machine.

“Buck!”

Buck spun to face him, his face lighting up in a smile.

“Superman! Merry Christmas!”

He bent down and scooped Chris up into a hug.

“What are you doing here?” Chris asked, delighted to see him.

“Well, your dad asked me to stay over for Christmas. I’m coming with you to see what a Diaz family Christmas is like this year! If that’s OK with you, that is?”

Chris nodded enthusiastically.

“Right, well let’s get you some juice. I’m just getting me and your dad some coffee, and then we’ll wake him up so you can open some presents! What did you ask Santa for this year?”

“I can show you.”

Buck frowned as Christopher slid out of his chair and disappeared into the living room. When he returned, he was carrying his letter, still sealed, from where he’d hidden it away at the start of December.

“You told me that Santa knows everything, so I asked him for something and hid the letter so Dad couldn’t find it. So only Santa would know what I’d asked for.”

Buck was looking a little nervous now.

“So, umm, what did you ask for?”

Chris sat back down at the table, and placed the letter flat, his hands on top of it. Before he answered he wanted to ask Buck a question.

“Do you love my dad?”

Buck’s eyes widened, and then he dropped his head and Christopher saw him blush.

“Umm...yeah, I do.” He looked back up. “Why did you ask me that, Chris?”

Chris pushed the letter across the table to Buck.

“Read it.”

Mystified, Buck opened the envelope and removed the letter. His eyes scanned it, reading silently, and his jaw dropped.

“Read it out loud!” Chris ordered, and Buck nodded, cleared his throat and read the letter aloud.

“ _Dear Santa,_

_All I want for Christmas this year is for Dad to be happy. He’s been sad for a really long time, but when he’s with his best friend Buck he’s happy. Buck’s my best friend too, and I love him, but not like my dad loves him. So this Christmas I want Buck and Dad to fall in love, so that Buck can live with us and be my dad too._

_Love from,_

_Christopher Diaz”_

Buck stared at the letter for a long time after he’d finished reading, and Chris thought he saw him blink away tears before he swiped an arm across his eyes and swallowed.

“That’s so sweet, Christopher. You know, I don’t know any kids who would ask for something for someone else and not themselves. You are just selfless. And I love you too, kid.”

He stood, moved around to where Christopher sat, and hugged him tightly.

“Right, let’s get you some breakfast! What would you like?”

Buck crossed the kitchen, the letter still clutched in his hand, though he didn’t really seem to notice where he was going.

“Good morning! Am I the last one up?”

Dad had appeared without Buck or Christopher noticing. He leaned against the doorframe, watching them both with a smile.

“Dad! Merry Christmas!” Chris called to him from the kitchen table. He climbed down from his chair and hurried to his dad, who swung him around and settled him back into his chair.

“Merry Christmas, buddy! Did you see those presents waiting under the tree for you from Santa?”

“Yeah! And I saw him, last night too.”

Dad nodded, but he didn’t seem to hear him. His eyes had already settled on Buck, who was watching him from across the kitchen with an affectionate smile. Chris's letter to Santa had vanished from sight.

“Merry Christmas, Eddie,” Buck said softly.

“Merry Christmas, Buck.”

Dad crossed the kitchen to him, putting one hand on Buck’s waist and the other on his shoulder and leaning in close to him automatically, before he hesitated and glanced uncertainly over at Christopher.

“He knows,” Buck told him. “He extracted the truth from me using his Jedi mind powers.”

“You mean he asked and you told him?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Dad smiled.

“So he won’t mind if I do this then.”

And his dad leaned in to kiss Buck. Christopher was caught between the urge to cheer and the urge to shout “Gross!” at them, so settled for laughing instead. Then he remembered what else he’d seen last night.

“I saw you kissing Santa last night, Dad.”

His dad and Buck both froze and looked at each other.

“Awkward way for me to find out that you cheated on me with Santa,” Buck said, eyebrows arched, but he was smiling, and Dad laughed.

“Don’t worry, Chris,” Buck reassured him, seeing Chris’s frown. “It’s fine, I gave Santa permission to kiss your dad last night.”

“Didn’t see you asking me for permission first,” his dad muttered.  
“Didn’t hear you complaining,” Buck murmured, his smile not faltering. Chris shook his head, still confused. Grown ups were weird.

*

Christopher continued to watch his dad and Buck throughout Christmas Day with the extended Diaz family. He saw how his dad smiled at Buck when no one else was watching, even Buck. How that smile made his whole face look softer. His dad had been so serious for so long. Christopher couldn’t really remember a time when his dad hadn’t been carrying sadness on his shoulders. But now, with Buck, he saw a lighter side of his dad for the first time.

Buck bounced around Dad and Chris, beaming from ear to ear. He fitted into the Diaz family Christmas so effortlessly that it was like he had always been there. He complimented Tia Pepa’s cooking, and offered himself and Dad to do the washing up afterwards. He joked with Chris’s aunties, and played endless games with Chris and his cousins in the backyard. Whenever he was within reach of Dad, he found an excuse to touch him, bumping shoulders and nudging knees, catching his eye and smiling at him in a way that Chris never saw him smile at anyone else. And when Buck was driving them home that night, and Christopher was drifting off to sleep in the backseat, stuffed full of food and worn out from all the excitement, the last thing he saw before his eyes fluttered closed was Dad holding Buck’s hand.

**Five Years Later**

“Buck, why did you dress up as Santa when I was ten?”

His stepdad turned from the stove, where he was cooking eggs and bacon for their breakfast, to face Christopher. Written across the front of his apron were the words: _Evan Diaz: Head Chef_ _._

“Because every child should believe in the magic of Christmas for as long as possible.” He pulled a face. “I also once accidentally told a load of kids that Santa wasn’t real, and I needed to balance the books with karma.”

Christopher’s eyes widened, and Buck scrambled to explain. “It was on a call, with a Santa in a store and a can of mace...”

He shook his head and turned back to the stove. “Besides, when I was your age, I would have loved to see what you saw.” He paused. “Well, maybe not the part with Santa and your dad and the mistletoe.” He glanced back over at his shoulder at Chris. “I got carried away there. Sorry about unintentionally scarring you for life, kid.”

Christopher shook his head.

“It’s OK, I’m used to it by now. You two are embarrassing enough in public, never mind at home.”

Buck grinned and turned back to the stove.

“Well I can’t apologise for that, I’m afraid. I love your dad too much not to kiss him whenever I get a chance.”

“Gross,” Christopher retorted, and Buck laughed.

“How did you know I would even see it?” Chris asked.

Buck smiled at him knowingly.

“Because when I was ten, I wouldn’t have listened to my dad and stayed in bed either.”

“But your sister doesn’t know any different,” his dad said, entering the kitchen with his arms full of wrapping paper.

“And we intend to keep it that way until she’s at at least thirteen,” Buck said, pointing his spoon at Christopher with mock sternness. “So you’d better practice that believer’s game face for the next ten years.” He turned his gaze to his husband. “Umm, Eddie, what…?”

“I’m trying to get a handle on wrapping her presents.”

“You remember the last time that happened, right? And we had to take a trip to the emergency room because you nearly severed your finger trying to do that fancy twirl on the ribbons?”

Eddie grinned ruefully.

“Yeah...I was hoping we might be able to do a trade.”

“And have you send the rest of us to the emergency room with food poisoning?” Buck retorted, eyes sparkling. “I don’t think so. You can sit there, look pretty and talk to our son. I’ll do the wrapping after breakfast.”

“You’re the best,” Eddie said, ditching the wrapping paper on the table and leaning in to kiss Buck.

It astounded Christopher that even now, after five years, his dads seemed more sickeningly in love than ever. Although he’d never admit it to them now, his heart still sang with joy watching them. Maybe Santa had been listening after all when he wrote that letter five years ago.

However, fifteen year-old Christopher Diaz had some limits. And watching his parents make out in front of him in the kitchen was just so far over that limit.

“ _Gross_ , get a room!” he muttered, and Buck and Eddie broke apart, laughing.


	4. Bein' A Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buck attends his first parent-teacher evening with Eddie, and runs into every Buddie shipper's least favourite English teacher...

Buck’s Jeep was cruising through the early evening traffic when his phone rang.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“Eddie, it’s gonna be fine. I’m caffeinated up and I’m practising my best fixed smile.”

“Are you sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for?”

“A lot of really bad jokes? I work with Chim every day, I can handle it.”

His boyfriend wasn’t convinced.

“I couldn’t have done it without Carla last time, going in by yourself is trial by fire.”

“I think you underestimate my charms.”

“I think those charms are the reason I agreed to this plan in the first place. You could just hang around the front of the building and wait for me, and we’ll go in together.”

“If I didn’t know better, Eddie, I’d say you were embarrassed by me. But you’re not going to put me off. I am _psyched_ for this.”

“For parent-teacher evening?”

“That’s right. By the time you get there I’ll be BFFs with every one of Chris’s teachers.”

“By the time I get there one of them will have adopted you.”

“What can I say? I’m just that kind of guy.”

“Hen calls it your golden retriever nature.”

“And everyone loves a golden retriever, so I don’t see the problem there.”

“Christopher has always wanted a dog...”

“ _Ouch_. Is he there?”

“Yeah he is.” Eddie called into the car behind him. “Do you want to say hi, buddy?”

“Hey Buck!” Christopher’s excited voice echoed around the Jeep, and a smile lit up Buck’s face.

“Hey Superman! I cannot wait to hear all about you from your teachers. Are they gonna tell me good things?”

“Yeah.”

“Well if they’re really good, we’ll take you out to dinner at the weekend, how about that?”

“Buck...”

“Sorry, Eddie. Only if your dad says yes, Chris,” Buck added, then dropped his voice to a stage whisper. “Because he’s _boring_...”

“OK, I’m hanging up now,” Eddie said, as Christopher laughed in the background. Eddie paused at the other end of the line, then added, “You know I could never be embarrassed by you, right Buck?”

“Aww, you’re such a sap, Diaz.”

But Buck still smiled to himself as he ended the call.

*

“Hi, I’m looking for Class 3C?”

Buck had been to Christopher’s school a couple of times, but he’d never really paid much attention to where he was going, always in Eddie or Carla’s company. Rather than blindly search for the classroom, he went straight in for help. He wasn’t about to show Chris up on parent-teacher evening.

The receptionist glanced up, whose name badge read ‘Gloria’, looked up from her paperwork.

“Which student are you here for?”

“Christopher Diaz.”

“Ah, Christopher.” Her face lit up. “He’s such a treasure.”

Buck smiled automatically at praise of Christopher.

“Yeah, he’s the best. But I’m really going to show him up if I don’t get to these appointments on time. This is my first parent-teacher evening and I am so lost!”

Gloria beamed.

“Don’t you worry about it, I can show you the way. Have you got an itinerary?”

Buck fished out his phone and waved it.

“All on here!”

“Great. Let me just give you a visitor’s badge.”

Gloria bustled out of the office, stuck a name badge to the front of Buck’s LAFD t-shirt, and led him off into the maze of corridors.

“They must be putting something in the water at those fire stations. You’re all so handsome!”

As she was about 70, Buck let it pass with one of his most charming smiles, and Gloria continued.

“Your husband has quite a few admirers here. I’ve never seen so many moms stay for a Show and Tell as there were when he was giving that talk about his Silver Star!”

Buck’s stomach flipped at the casual way she assumed he and Eddie were married. But Eddie wasn’t there to spoil his fun and correct her, so he let himself live the fantasy for a little while.

“Oh really?”

Buck tucked his arm through Gloria’s, adopting the approach he would use on a grandmother.

“You’re going to have to tell me _all_ about it, so I can tease him for the next month straight about being soccer mom bait.”

She happily regaled him with stories as they navigated the corridors, and Buck laughed at them all and made mental notes on each one so he could recount them to Eddie later.

“Now, are you ready for your first parent-teacher evening?” Gloria asked, her eyes concerned behind her glasses.

“I’ve been pre-warned about the jokes,” Buck said, dropping his voice to a confidentially low tone.

“Oh good.” Gloria looked relieved. “I was worried I might have to find a tactful way of telling you. You’d be amazed the number of would-be stand up comedians who ended up as elementary school teachers instead.”

Buck laughed.

“Luckily help is on the way,” he told her. “Eddie should be here soon once he’s dropped Christopher at his grandmother’s.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It can be quite an overwhelming experience first time round.” Gloria came to a stop outside Classroom 3C. “I must say, you do look a lot like Christopher. You have the same smile. You have a good night, Mr Diaz.”

“I will. Thank you, Gloria.”

She beamed at him and headed back to reception, oblivious to the joy she had bestowed on Buck with those simple sentences.

It was only when he walked through the door of the English class that Buck realised why he’d been secretly apprehensive about this evening. Ana Flores sat waiting at the desk. And the look on her face said that she definitely hadn’t been expecting him.

Buck sized her up as he approached, smile hitched firmly into place. Wavy black hair tumbling down her back. Nice clothes. A few gold chains. A kind face but shrewd. No wonder Eddie had liked her when they first met – she was pretty much exactly what Buck would have imagined Eddie’s dream woman to be. He felt a stab of irrational jealousy, and smothered it beneath a smile.

“I’m sorry, my next appointment is for Christopher Diaz’s father.”

She thought he was here for another child. Buck stopped in front of her.

“Eddie got held up, so I thought I’d come here first and get started so we didn’t disrupt your whole evening.”

“And you are…?”

“Evan Buckley.”

Her eyes darted to the name badge on Buck’s chest and back up, and she frowned.

“Are you a relative?”

“Sort of.”

Buck was just weighing up how unsubtly he could tell her that he and Eddie were dating when the door banged open.

“Sorry I’m late, Miss Flores.”

Eddie strode in, looking flustered. His eyes landed on Buck and his gaze softened.

“You found it alright?”

“Only thanks to Gloria from reception,” Buck told him with a grin, fighting the childish urge to kiss him then and there in front of Ana Flores. He settled for bumping his shoulder against Eddie’s as he drew up a chair beside Buck, and they sat down together.

“Miss Flores, this is my partner, Evan Buckley,” Eddie explained, shooting a fond smile at Buck.

She did a double take, then recovered.

“Oh, so you two are together…?”

“We are. And we are very excited to hear all about how Christopher has been doing at school this semester,” Buck said enthusiastically, grin stretching wide on his face as he sat back, crossing one leg over the other and letting his hand drop casually onto Eddie’s thigh. Eddie shot him a look, but his lips twitched, hiding a smile.

“So, Christopher is still progressing well.” Ana Flores glanced back and forth between them, still slightly uncertain, and then directed her gaze to Eddie. “His presentation with you and your Silver Star was our most popular Show and Tell last semester.”

“Gloria told me that he was quite the hit with all the soccer moms,” Buck said, dropping his voice to a confidential low tone, his hand still resting territorially on Eddie’s thigh.

“It was a very moving presentation,” Ana said.

“Well Eddie’s a hero who saved a whole convoy whilst being shot down and shot at. Anyone would be impressed by that.” Buck leaned forward to meet her eyes. “He’s a catch in anyone’s books, don’t you think?”

“Buck...”

Eddie shot him a warning look and Buck sat back in his chair, but didn’t move his hand off Eddie’s leg.

“Anyways,” Eddie said, hurrying to change the subject. “How is Christopher doing with his English?”

“Well, his reading aloud has come on a lot since we last spoke.”

“Buck reads to him a lot,” Eddie said, looking sideways at his boyfriend. “He’s much better at the voices than I am.”

“Now we both know that’s not true,” Buck said. “I’ve heard you reading Harry Potter to him at night, you do a great Severus Snape.”

“You heard that?” Eddie asked, eyes half-closed in embarrassment.

“Are you kidding? I sit out in the hallway so I can listen. I nearly broke a rib trying not to laugh, but it was worth it.”

Eddie elbowed him and shook his head, fighting a smile. Ana Flores watched them both carefully. Finally, as their appointment drew to an end, she smiled at them.

“Christopher is doing great. He’s a credit to his father.” She nodded in acknowledgement to Buck. “And his stepfather.”

Surprise flashed across Buck’s face, but he accepted his victory and her praise graciously.

“Thank you.”

Once out of the classroom, Buck didn’t give Eddie a chance to haul him over the coals, but grabbed his hand and led him on to the next appointment without a backward glance, fighting back a smile.

As Eddie predicted, Buck went down a storm with Christopher’s teachers. He laughed at all their jokes, his knowledge of trivia meant that he had a fact about each subject that impressed them, and he played the part of Chris’s stepdad with unparalleled enthusiasm.

“Christopher is a sweet and responsible student,” his social studies teacher told them. “I must say, I think it’s so important that children are taught from an early age how to support one another.”

“Oh we think that’s so important too,” Buck said, speaking for them both before Eddie could get a word in. “We’re always telling Chris the importance of being a good citizen.”

Eddie shot him an amused look.

“Well, I must say it’s so refreshing to find a couple who are so devoted to their son’s development,” his teacher replied, and Buck beamed.

“Christopher’s knowledge of geography and natural sciences is really advanced for someone so young,” his geography teacher, Mrs Quinn, said at their final appointment.

“Well he and I both love learning new things,” Buck said. “We’ve been learning about natural disasters since we got caught up in the tsunami at Santa Monica Pier.”

“You were there?”

“Yeah. It’s something we’ve both had to learn to process, and I think it’s really healthy for kids to see that the adults in their life go through tough things too, and to work through them together.”

“You’re Buck,” Mrs Quinn said, realisation dawning in her eyes.

“Yeah.”

“Christopher talks about you all the time. He adores you.”

Eddie couldn’t hold back the affectionate look he gave Buck, who looked floored at Mrs Quinn’s words, and didn’t say anything for the rest of the appointment.  
“So what did you think of your first parent-teacher evening?” Eddied asked, as they emerged into the mild winter night.

“Chris is even more awesome than I thought he was. We’re definitely taking him out for dinner this weekend.”

Eddie smiled proudly.

“Yeah, when I came with Carla they essentially told me I was raising a smart, popular, funny genius.”

“Well, you are. Although that will have done nothing for your ego,” Buck laughed, nudging his shoulder. Eddie nudged him right back.

“Like you weren’t taking half the credit in there for raising him.”

“Hell no, I was just having fun. That kid is all you, Eddie. And Shannon.”

“No,” Eddie said simply, as they reached their cars, parked side by side. “You’re in there too, Buck. Everyone told us we were co-parenting a kid. And they were right. I look at Chris and I see you too. And Mrs Quinn was right, he does adore you. Whether you knew it or not before today, you're a dad now.”

The shy, pleased smile on Buck’s face made Eddie’s heart soar, and he made a note to tell him more often. Eddie leaned his back against the side of Buck’s Jeep and arched an eyebrow.

“Did you know you were walking around with ‘Mr Diaz’ on your name badge all night, by the way?”

Buck shot him an impish grin, and Eddie rolled his eyes.

“What with that and the not-so-subtle thigh grabbing, and I’d say you were making a point, Buck.”

“Hey, Gloria assumed we were married. I just didn’t correct her. I knew I’d be seeing Miss Flores tonight, and I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea about you after your little _history_.”

“Our history? I was interested in her for about two weeks. You’re here with me now. Isn’t that statement enough?”

“Nope.”

Eddie shook his head.

“Of course it’s not.” He took a breath, still unaccustomed to making emotional declarations. “Well, for the record, I am crazy about you, Buck. Just you. No other man or woman even registers for me. You’re all I see.”

A blinding smile illuminated Buck’s face, and he took a step closer. Eddie leaned across the gap between them to kiss him, and when they broke apart, Buck still carried a slightly dazed look that Eddie recognised. It was the same way he felt every time he kissed Buck. His boyfriend shot him a sheepish look.

“Sorry about the name badge, Eddie. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Oh, you absolutely could have.”

“Yeah, but this way was more fun,” Buck whispered, leaning in so that his lips brushed Eddie’s ear, breath hot against his neck.

“Were you never taught to play fair?” Eddie murmured.

“All’s fair in love and war.” Buck replied, bracing his palms either side of Eddie’s head on the side of the Jeep and bringing his body in close, so there was barely any space between them. “Besides, I always preferred to play dirty.”

“Oh yeah? Well two can play that game,” Eddie murmured. And he grabbed a fistful of Buck’s t-shirt and pulled him flush against him, crushing his lips tight to his in the middle of the parking lot, not giving a damn who might be watching.

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was so far outside my writing comfort zone, and I re-read it so many times in edits that I can no longer tell if it’s any good or not. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it!


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